Towards the advancement of project

management, practice in developing

countries the case of Nigeria
CONFERENCE PAPER  Quality Management , Strategy , Organizational Project
Management  18 July 2012
Zuofa, Tarila. | Ochieng, Edward G.
How to cite this article:
Zuofa, T. & Ochieng, E. G. (2012). Towards the advancement of project management
practice in developing countries: the case of Nigeria. Paper presented at PMI®
Research and Education Conference, Limerick, Munster, Ireland. Newtown
Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Abstract

Project management in most developing countries today continues to be

fractured in its structure and approach, thereby triggering high degrees
of failure, abandonment, or collapse of most government and private
organization projects. The resultant effect of this has been a colossal
wastage of scarce resources, as well as deficiencies in the overall
developmental needs within such countries. Previous studies have
revealed that factors such as flawed project management practices
have been responsible for such occurrences. In response to the
aforementioned, this paper utilised a focus group comprised of select
project management practitioners to examine the current trends in
project management practice in developing countries. The findings
identified several factors, including the incompetence of project
management practitioners and the lack of understanding of the
rudiments of project management as major barriers towards the
advancement of project management in developing countries. The
paper notes that regardless of the sizes of projects undertaken in
developing countries, basic project management strategies must be
adopted by government and private organisations. It also proposed that
such strategies should not be a mere transfer from developed countries
but must give thoughtful consideration to peculiar cultural factors
affecting developing countries. The paper concludes by making
recommendations for project management stakeholders within
developing countries to purposefully instigate measures that sustain
project management culture and to ensure that well-structured project
governance frameworks are established and adhered to.
Keywords: developing countries; Nigeria; project management practice

Introduction

The world's developing countries have been engulfed in a myriad of

social, political, and economic problems. These problems have resulted
in an exacerbation of wide spread poverty, civil unrest, inadequate
infrastructure, higher rates of unemployment, and so forth.
Consequently, the execution of roads, dams, rural water supply,
schools, houses, hospitals, factories, and other projects that support
development have become imperative. This is because the initiation of
these projects is considered to drive development and contribute
towards the alleviation of the effects of most social, political, and
economic problems. To guarantee the actualisation of such projects,
especially within the limits of finite resources available in such countries,
project management practice must be incorporated.
According to Project Management Institute (PMI), project management
is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project
activities to meet the project requirements (PMI, 2008). As a result,
project management practices can be construed to be vital for the
planning, organizing, managing, and control of activities, which lead to
better performance and increased productivity for projects. Similarly,
Kupakuwana and Van der berg, (2005) opined that the use of project
management techniques and principles may lead to more effective
service delivery and product success. Consequently, this paper, which
forms part of an on-going research at the Built Environment and
Sustainable Technologies (BEST) Research Institute of Liverpool John
Moores University, examines issues affecting project management
practices in developing countries. The subsequent sections are
organised to provide an overview of project management practice in
developing countries, introduce the research method utilised, discuss
findings, and propose a means towards its advancement.
Project Management Practice in Developing Countries

Cleland and Gareis (2006) revealed that the emergence of technological

advancements and accelerated national and industrial developments
have transformed project management practice into a highly
sophisticated process over the years. Thus, Collyer and Warren (2009)
proposed that the use of early warning signals aimed at managing risks
in these developments should be adopted. This paper posits that tools
and techniques from project management can be considered among
such early warning signals, because project management supports the
use of normative approaches for the effective management of projects.
In most developing countries, owing to social, political, and economic
problems, as well as the low levels of infrastructural development, Diallo
and Thuillier (2004) identified that the construction of roads, houses,
water, and educational facilities, as well as other government core
prerogatives, were among the key projects frequently executed. The
majority of these projects may be funded independently by the home
government or through direct or indirect support from external agencies.
Several studies have examined project management practices in
developing countries. For instance, Nguyen (2007) acknowledged the
rising significance of project management practice in Vietnam but still
highlighted the limited use of risk management techniques during
project management practice because of its relatively unknown
relevance. This disclosure may indicate the tendencies of heightened
risks during the life cycles of most projects in Vietnam. Furthermore,
Nguyen (2007) added that, ideally, project quality management, an
integral component of project management practice, which should be
closely associated with providing results that meet client requirements
and expectations, was more associated with just achieving project
technical specifications in Vietnam. This trend became responsible for
the countless government documents that were supposed to give
directions on how to meet quality requirements on projects but resulted
in just the delivery of poor-quality projects that rarely reflected clients'
critical needs.
Mbatha (1993) developed a framework for project management in
Kenya. Although this is paper commends the efforts of Mbatha (1993),
which was obviously aimed at propelling project management practice
in Kenya, it reckons that Muriithi and Crawford (2003) suggested that
project management practice utilises principles based on economic
rationality. Thus, it argues that the application of such a framework for
project management in a developing country like Kenya may become
difficult to comprehend; this is because certain values in the Kenyan
society may not explicitly support economic rationality.
For Nigeria, another leading developing nation, Odusami, Iyagba, and
Omirin (2003) claimed that project management is still in its infancy
stage. Their claims were established based on the absence of
formalised project management frameworks or professionally
recognised project management regulatory bodies in the country. This
disclosure indicated that project management practice in Nigeria may be
constantly enmeshed with similar challenges faced in other developing
countries. Therefore, project management practice in Nigeria may, to a
large extent, be characterised by a lack of top management awareness
of project management practice, highly bureaucratized projects because
of an over dependence on government for project funding and control
as well as corrupt practices that may occur at various project phases.
Similarly, evidence from Okereke (2012) indicated that failures in
several projects in Nigeria may be attributable to the absence of
structured project management practice. Furthermore, Lawal (2000)
submitted that many projects embarked on by the Nigerian government
have remained incomplete or abandoned due to poor project
management.
Muriithi and Crawford (2003) listed the paucity of information on project
management and insufficient literature describing the experiences of
project managers as limiting factors for project management practice in
most developing countries in Africa. Thus, it can be stated that project
management practice in such countries will be characterised by the
limited use of lessons learned from past projects. Being fully aware of
the importance of lessons learned and documentation in project
management, the current paucity of project management information
experienced will never augur well for future projects and the
effectiveness of project management practice in the concerned
countries.
From the literature, it will be unmistakable to state that most writers
portrayed a fairly unified perception of project management practice in
developing countries. These writers, among other things, have identified
that the lack of experienced personnel and inefficient administrative
procedures frequently result in the poor implementation of project
management practice in most developing nations. In light of the above,
broad conclusions on the challenges of current project management
practice can be drawn. However, being fully aware of the benefits of
project management practice to society, this paper shall purposefully
propose a means towards the advancement of project management
practice in developing countries, with a primary focus on Nigeria.
Nigeria, with a population of approximately 154.7 million people, prides
itself as the most populous country in Africa (World Bank, 2009). This
figure comprises over 250 diverse ethnic groups presently dispersed
among thirty-six states and the nation's federal capital territory. The
fragmentations from the numerous ethnic groups have been relatively
balanced by the country's federal structure, which places an emphasis
on equal representation. Following several years of military rule and
poor economic management, Okonjo-Iweala and Osafo-Kwaako (2007)
observed that Nigeria has experienced prolonged periods of economic
stagnation, rising poverty levels, and a decline of its public institutions.
Furthermore, they stated that the lack of public investments in previous
decades has resulted in severe infrastructural bottlenecks that hindered
private sector activities. This paper considers that such disclosures
bolster the need for rapid development in Nigeria. One means of
achieving this is not just through the initiation of developmental projects
but by encouraging project management practices that seamlessly
guarantee the completion of projects.

Method

In order to achieve the objective of this paper, the qualitative method

was found most suitable for data collection. It guaranteed an excellent
means of understanding and assessing project management practice;
Bryman and Bell (2011) noted that the qualitative method of data
collection provides a detailed description of social practices while
attempting to understand individual perspectives of their world.
A focus group discussion was conducted with ten participants. All
participants had project management experience gained over several
years; as such, their opinions were regarded as those of well-informed
practitioners. The session lasted for about one hour, during which
issues associated with project management practice in Nigeria were
extensively discussed. The focus group provided a rich and in-depth
means of gathering data in participant's words and reactions. For this
paper, focus groups also proved to be a quick, flexible, and economical
method of gathering information because it allowed the researchers to
interact directly with participants and build upon the discussion as it
progressed (Ghauri & Gronhaug, 2010). The discussions were recorded
and transcribed verbatim for analysis. The data collected generated
useful insights, which covered key areas relating to project management
practice in Nigeria; subsequently, the data were organised into themes
for discussions.

Findings

During the focus group session, several remarkable and informative

points were raised. First, all participants acknowledged the relevance of
project management practice in their business and organisational
endeavours. They noted that incompetent project management
practitioners and political and economic uncertainties were among the
several pitfalls in current project management practice in Nigeria.
However, it was revealed that some of the pitfalls mentioned could be
mitigated by engaging highly competent personnel and by establishing a
project management culture within organisations and government
establishments.
The participants also emphasised the relevance of adopting defined
project management methodologies, the need for additional support for
project management education and training, utilising enhanced project
management communication strategies for organisations, and
government support during project handling. Finally, participants
highlighted the need for project stakeholders to have an awareness of
project performance and quality plan measures as well as an in-depth
comprehension of the benefits accruable from projects being executed.

Discussion

In line with the findings, this paper considers the adoption of distinct
project management methodologies as very appropriate for developing
countries. According to Turner (2009), a methodology is a structured
approach or technique for project delivery consisting of a series of
processes with defined resources and activities. Kerzner (2009) advised
that one way of increasing the success rate of an organisation's project
suite will be through the development of in-house project management
methodologies. Stuckenbruck and Zomorrodian (1987), Kerzner (2009)
and Hyvari (2006) also advocated for the use of standardised project
management techniques. The adoption of such standardised techniques
would be beneficial because this gets project management practitioners
in developing countries to plan and execute projects with higher levels
of precision and synergy, thereby supporting faster and more efficient
project outcomes. Although the development of in-house methodologies
and standardised techniques should be welcomed by organisations and
governments in developing countries, this paper argues that clear
consideration must be given to the nature of organisations, their
operations and project management maturity level.
In support of this, Turner (2009) explained that certain project
management techniques with Western origins might encounter
complications during implementation in other countries, especially the
developing nations. Writers, such as Muriithi and Crawford (2003), cited
cultural issues as major impediments towards the implementation of
effective project management practice in most developing countries.
Hence, this paper proposes that any attempt to improve project
management practice or formulate unique methodologies/ techniques in
developing countries should not be a mere transfer from western
practice but must also consider the cultural issues prevalent within the
location of deployment and incorporate such factors when necessary.
With regards to cultural issues, the aspiration of this paper is a holistic
conceptualisation of cultural issues. Accordingly, the beliefs, values,
representations, and shared experiences among project stakeholders,
as well as corporate and professional cultural issues, should be given
consideration while attempting to adopt any project management
methodology in developing countries.
This paper is not unmindful that the adoption of in-house project
management methodologies may not be feasible in certain
organisations in developing countries due to peculiar circumstances that
may surround their operations. Thus, alternatives must be sought and
the use of external methodologies becomes the next feasible option.
Commonly used methodologies include those based on A Guide to the
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) developed
by Project Management Institute (PMI); Association for Project
Management Body of Knowledge, developed by the Association for
Project Management; and the Projects in Controlled Environments,
which was established by the Office of Government Commerce, the
United Kingdom. The methodologies introduced by these bodies have
facilitated several project management standards, which are now widely
used for global project management operations because of their
perceived positive impact on workplace and overall project
performance. These methodologies can be seamlessly utilised or
adapted to fit the requirements of organisations and governments in
developing countries.
Another issue of mention towards the advancement of project
management in developing countries was the external environment.
Factors like political, economic, social, legal, and technological factors,
identified earlier on by the participants as pitfalls in current project
management practice in developing countries, can be categorised as
external environment factors. According to Pinto and Selvin (1989),
some of these factors have significant impacts on the entire project
phases, whereas others just have a greater impact on more specific
project phases. Thi and Swierczek (2010) established that these
external environment factors have significant and positive relationships
on the overall project performance. Hence, what lies ahead for project
management practice in developing countries is to ensure that adequate
mitigation strategies are deployed when necessary to cater for the
impact of the occurrence of any external environmental factor. The use
of insurance organisations and well-structured risk management
systems are proven strategies for mitigating the effects of external
environmental factors.
The findings also underscored the need for project stakeholders to have
an awareness of performance and quality plan measures as well as an
in-depth comprehension of the benefits accruable from projects
executed. This clearly indicates the need for having a governance
structure for projects undertaken in developing countries. According to
Renz (2007), project governance is a process-oriented system in which
projects are strategically directed, jointly managed, and holistically
controlled in an entrepreneurial and ethically reflected manner
appropriate to the singular, time-wise limited, interdisciplinary, and
complex context of projects. This definition illustrates that project
governance plays a pivotal role for successful project execution.
Therefore, this paper posits that by enshrining and adhering to the
fundamental principles of project governance, project management
practice in developing countries will be able to strike an adequate
balance between delegation and accountability and create good working
relationships among the project stakeholders.
Even as past literature, for example Odusami et al. (2003), claimed the
nonexistence of standardised project management practice
associations, several participants articulated that project management
practice in Nigeria has made remarkable improvements. They cited the
emergence of nascent associations like the Nigerian chapter of PMI, the
Nigerian Association for Project Management (NAPM) to buttress their
opinions on improvements in current project management practice in
Nigeria. Although the emergence of such bodies is a well-received
development for project management practice in Nigeria, more efforts
still need to be put in place. Hence, the paper urges project
management practitioners in Nigeria and other developing countries to
champion the introduction of relevant communities of project
management practice and specific interest groups. This move will
encourage more effectively sustained project management culture.
Additionally, with growing evidence of the relevance of project
management to organisations and the larger society, the paper
encourages governments at all levels; higher education service
providers; management educators and trainers to launch training
programs, university degrees, and specialized courses focused on
project management. This will guarantee the training of future project
management practitioners while also creating an opportunity for current
practitioners to have a means of being repositioned in line with present
day project management realities. In addition to the issues discussed,
the following points should be considered towards the advancement of
project management practice in developing countries:

 Government and organisations at all levels should instigate the

establishment of project management offices (PMOs) as key
departments in their agencies;
 The introduction of enhanced project management
communication strategies. This is because the timely management
of communication among relevant channels is critical for effective
project management;
 A defined project monitoring and reporting system that guarantees
effective project control and provides timely information on past and
current projects; and
 Governments and organisations in developing countries should
accept the fact that, there are trained project management
professionals. Consequently, only such professionals should be
involved in the management of their projects.
Conclusion

With the myriad of social, political, and economic problems that have
characterised developing countries, an understanding and effective
application of principles from core project management practice should
obviously become an important strategy for stakeholders striving to
achieve successful projects in such countries. This is because project
management practice relates with the planning, organizing, directing,
and controlling of resources to achieve desired outcomes, which have
desirable impacts on society.
This paper examined the current status of project management practice
in developing countries, with a focus on Nigeria. The relevance of the
topic is grasped in the context in which project management practice
has been confronted within Nigeria and other developing countries over
the past years. It concluded that in order to advance project
management in developing countries, stakeholders must step up and
promote contemporary project management practices based on the
findings of this paper. The authors note that, although the aspirations
elucidated above are not necessarily a panacea towards the
advancement of project management practice in developing countries,
they appear to be the most logical aspirations for a more effective
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